The Place of Lions [Paperback]

Eric Campbell (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

A plane crash strands thirteen-year-old Chris on the immense Serengeti Plain, and only he can save the two injured men whose lives depend on him. “The exciting action in a fascinating setting, coupled with the intriguing spiritual element, make this a worthwhile and thought-provoking book.”--School Library Journal

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When his father lands a job in Tanzania, 14-year-old Chris travels with him. But before they even arrive in their new home, the small plane they are riding is involved in a freak accident with a swarm of vultures, leaving Chris, his father and the pilot stranded on the Serengeti Plain. Relatively uninjured, Chris decides to walk 30 miles to a site where he believes he can find help. On his way, he dodges poachers and becomes involved in a mystic symbiotic relationship with an aging lion. In its essentials, this tale recalls Jean George's Julie of the Wolves and Gary Paulsen's Hatchet. The book's anti-poaching message is laudable, and the author's intense affection for Africa and its animals (if not its people) is very much in evidence. Unfortunately, these good intentions are not remedy enough for the deadly combination of adjective-laden sentences and cartoon-like characters. Ages 8-up.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-9-- A plane crash in Tanzania leaves Chris responsible for the survival of his father and the pilot, both badly injured. After a suspenseful confrontation with a pride of lions, the boy sets off on foot to search for help. His fate is strangely intertwined with that of an aging male lion who is losing control of his pride. As the action develops, the two grow increasingly conscious of the vague bond that links their fates, and each saves the other's life at least once. The narrative shifts fairly smoothly from Chris's point of view to the lion's, and also follows the actions of Mike Taylor, a tour guide who is pursuing poachers in the same region. The novel is full of vivid descriptions of the life and land of Africa, although at times the flowery prose disrupts the flow of the story. The opening chapters that lead up to the plane crash are rather slow, but after that the pace is fast and the story compelling. Chris shows bravery and ingenuity throughout his adventure, but never comes fully alive as a character. While other survival stories, such as Paulsen's Hatchet (Bradbury, 1987), focus more on the growth and development of the hero, The Place of Lions is more concerned with the environment. Overall, the exciting action in a fascinating setting, coupled with the intriguing spiritual element, make this a worthwhile and thought-provoking book. --Steven Engelfried, Pleasanton Library, CA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper (April 18, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152003711
• ISBN-13: 978-0152003715
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #841,318 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Place of Lions, November 29, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Place of Lions (Paperback)

I teach upper elementary gifted children, and have been teaching reading through the use of novels for twelve years. The Place of Lions touched me on a profound level. It is a beautiful book highlighting a spiritual connection between a fourteen year old boy and an aging lion. Connections between this novel and the story in The Lion King are easy to make. The Serengeti is portrayed as savage and hostile to intruders, yet the animals who live there are noble and proud as they move through the circle of life. The main characters, Chris Harris and the old lion, struggle along a common path and make a connection that defies explanation or belief. Each one ends up proving that he has a brave heart. Sophisticated readers may appreciate this book the most because it is so much more than a mere action-adventure story. The students in my novel groups have enjoyed The Place of Lions immensely, and I am emotionally moved each time I discuss the book with them. What a treat!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read African survival story of faith and courage., July 30, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Place of Lions (Paperback)

The Place of Lions is a book that personally motivated and inspired me in the beginning of my writing career. It is filled with messages that you must truly contemplate to understand, and spiritual as well as inspirational morals. It has been called 'compelling,' 'thought provoking', and so on, but I can say no more than what I already have---The Place Of Lions is a book of sheer mystical magic, set beneath the hot red eye of Africa. The plot of the book begins when Chris's father decides to mount a vacation in Tanzania for a few years. A horrendous plane crash occurs, landing Chris and his father, as well as the critically wounded pilot, in the unforgiving savannah---right in the middle of the territory of a pride of lions. Chris soon learns that he must travel to the village nearby armed with only a canteen half filled with water to get help. He knows that the journey can not be made alone...but with the help of a lion's strength and courage, he just might make it... ~~~~~

5.0 out of 5 stars Great read, despite the language!, January 5, 2009

By 

Laura Zinck "Bookaholic" (Independence, OR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Place of Lions (Paperback)

I read this book aloud to my 5th grade class every year for several years. By the end of the book they were begging me to read just a little more. This is a wonderful story of survival in a land where everything is designed for survival of the fittest, and the fittest is definitely not a 14 year old boy from England. At times funny, at other times terrifying, this is a must read.